Product Description

This follow-up to David Gilmour's late '70s debut is a Bob Ezrin-produced post-WALL effort, and as such it incorporatesthe harder sounds Gilmour had become accustomed to during the WALL sessions. Written and released around the time of Roger Waters' exit from Pink Floyd, this album foreshadows theFloyd's future musical direction.
Combining layered vocals with a heavily looped guitar sound, "Until We Sleep" begins ABOUT FACE with an almost Byrds-like quality, while the gentleness of the acoustic opening to the ballad "Murder" disguises its homicidal subject matter. Both "Love On the Air",and "All Lovers are Deranged", are distinguished by lyrics written by Pete Townshend, and "Blue Light" is an attempt atfunk with a Floydian flavor. Gilmour's strength at ballad writing is evidenced in "Out of the Blue", while the obligatory instrumental is "Let's Get Metaphysical". The album closer is, appropriately enough, the song "Near the End". All in all an essential album in any Floyd fan's collection.

Track Listing

1. Until We Sleep
2. Murder
3. Love On The Air
4. Blue Light
5. Out Of The Blue
6. All Lovers Are Deranged
7. You Know I'm Right
8. Cruise
9. Let's Get Metaphysical
10. Near The End

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8991 in Music
• Released on: 2006-08-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered

Customer Reviews

The David Gilmour album that you always wished for
If you hanker for a solo Gilmour album that still has the influence of Pink Floyd as well as plenty of his own distinctive individuality, then look no further. It's all here in this, his second solo recording from several years back - great melodies; electric and acoustic playing; richness and loneliness. None of the chanting style of singing that bedevils 'Island'. This is pure vintage Gilmour - the album that everyone hoped he would surpass with his third solo effort, but didn't.

I've played 'Island' several times - but I wore out the original vinyl of this record and the re-mastered CD has rarely been out of my top 10 favourites.

Quite simply - if you love Gilmour's style of playing, you will love this. It's everything that Island isn't but should have been.

MOR but top quality MOR
Originally released in March 1984 About Face is the second solo LP from the Pink Floyd guitarist /vocalist and was recorded at a time when the future of Pink Floyd was still shrouded in uncertainty. Not that any of that percolates into the music as it's a supremely confident mix of typically guitar led rockier songs with some plangent ballads thrown in for variety . Contributors include Steve Winwood , Pete Townsend who shares co-writing credits on "Love On The Air" and "All Lovers Are Deranged" Jon Lord of Deep Purple, and orchestral arrangers Michael Kamen and Bob Ezrin.
It's production by Gilmour and Ezrin is characteristically eighties not helped by eighties favourites like Pino Pallidono,s fretless bass flanging spongily on the song "Murder" or the way the keyboards seem to have been beamed in from outer space. So this is an album far more of it's time than just about anything Pink Floyd have ever done but it still works because for the main part the songs are terrific.
The single "Blue Light" will have come as an almighty shock to most Floyd fans with its effusive horn backing and almost disco spangled guitars. The signature guitar solo at the songs fade out marks it out as definitive Gilmour , and his voice of course but little else does with this song and a big hooray to him for that. "Out Of The Blue " is a string led MOR ballad that you wouldn't put past Michael Bolton though he would obviously annihilate it with his vocal caterwauling , but somehow here it works.
Mind you it does highlight Gilmour's sometimes clumsy lyrical proclivity .There is none of Waters sardonic intelligence or clever word play here but there are moments of genuine dexterity amidst the odd wince inducing moments. The change of key at the chorus in "You Know I'm Right" makes you wince as well but again it's a fine song and there are a couple of sonic diversions- the fluxing banked keyboards and amorphous guitars in "Until We Sleep" and the carousing scabrous fretwork on "All Lovers Are Deranged". The instrumental "Lets get Metaphysical " sounds like a soundtrack out take while "Cruise" is a bit too pretty and frankly slightly embarrassing lyrically . "Near The End" has a real lone troubadour quality to it , at least till the spiralling solo kicks in.
The re-mastered version has extended fade outs on a couple of songs -"Until We Sleep " and "Near The End" . Its a very good album. It will alienate many , as its far nearer the dreaded middle of the road than even Pink Floyd are perceived by many to be but I personally like to wander down the middle of the road from time to time. About Face is melodious , enjoyable and doesn't pall or become repetitive and in that context is far more interesting to listen to than a lot of what is considered cool. In fact I would rather listen to this than any Artic Monkeys album and its certainly the best solo album by any Pink Floyd member and I include the much eulogised Syd Barrett in that as well.

It's fairly mediocre. Gilmour aficionados only.
If you love "A Momentary Lapse of Reason", or MOR 80's rock, this should be a good buy. I bought both this LP and "AMLOR" in the late 80's on vinyl and though they sounded OK at the time neither have aged well (at least the latter is saved by "Learning to Fly"). Sadly there's no comparison here with Gilmour's best non-Waters work, such as the 1978 first album or "The Division Bell".

The obligatory instrumental, "Let's Get Metaphysical" works well, though it's no "Marooned". "Until we Sleep" moves along nicely but ultimately fails to engage much interest. "Murder" is the best track, with an ability to surprise sadly missing elsewhere and a killer ending. "All Lovers are Deranged" is a predictable by-the-numbers rocker but the low point must be "Blue Light" featuring nasty Phil Collins-style horns and the whiff of ill-judged commercialism. "Love on the Air" benefits from reasonable lyrics courtesy of Pete Townshend but on most other numbers the quality of writing doesn't bear comparison to Waters-era PF. Overall even the guitar work seems fuzzy and shrouded in then-trendy reverb.

Get this out from your local library before buying, or go to Amazon US and listen to some song samples. If you think Roger was over-rated, and Gilmour is a great singer however, this album is worth getting as it's certainly no clunker and does grow on you if you persevere.